What is a Professional? Posted by brigsby December 16, 2010 One definition might be getting paid to do something.

Another might be a commitment to performing at the highest level, to give your best at all times. Yet another may be exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. While all of these are partially correct, there are many facets to being a true professional. There are two parts to learning craftsmanship: knowledge and work. You must gain the knowledge of principles, patterns, practices, and heuristics that a craftsman knows, and you must also grind that knowledge into your fingers, eyes, and gut by working hard and practicing. It requires more than just the knowledge of principles and patterns. You must sweat over it. You must practice it yourself, and watch yourself fail. You must watch others practice it and fail. You must see them stumble and retrace their steps. You must see them agonize over decisions and see the price they pay for making those decisions the wrong way. - Robert Martin, Clean Code A professional has specialized skills and knowledge that required independent erudition and effort on their part to attain. They engage in a process of constant evaluation and improvement. A professional makes decisions based on their dedication to the craft and not the current circumstance. The characteristic that separates the professional from the dilettante is an uncompromising commitment to excellence doing what is required to get the job done at its highest level, even when it is inconvenient. An amateur is capable of doing some things well under the right conditions, but a professional, as a matter of course, does it well regardless of the situation. A professional is passionate, motivated, and punctual. A professional respects the respectable, but admires the inspirational. A professional is a seeker of knowledge but also a teacher. A professional is disciplined, has the highest standards, and is engaged in the constant pursuit of un-attainable perfection. A professional is restless and never satisfied, always evaluating and re-evaluating where theyve come and finding ways to do what they are doing better now, today, moment to moment. I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have. - Leonardo da Vinci, artist, d. 1519, last words

http://envoc.com/2010/12/professional/ What Is Professional Responsibility? Professional responsibility pertains to the obligation of a lawyer to perform his duties in a fitting manner. Not only does this include a professional and legal approach to an attorneys duties, but also to the moral aspect of the profession, which is not always specified by the law. Professional responsibility is also largely related to legal ethics, a guideline of appropriate conduct that a legal practitioner is obligated to perform both to his clients and to the court. One popular issue with regard to professional responsibility is conflict of interest." This situation usually occurs when a lawyer is closely related to or in intimate affinity with a person subjected to court rulings. This creates a predetermined bias for or against the potential client, which can influence a lawyers decisions, actions, and judgment. Lawyers are recommended, if not required, to refuse the person as a client. The most that a lawyer can do in this situation is refer the person to another legal practitioner or give general legal advices outside of court. Withdrawal from representation is another issue under the area of professional responsibility. Given certain circumstances, an attorney must discontinue representing a client, whether voluntarily or out of necessity. Many lawyers perform a voluntary withdrawal if they discover their client is the guilty party, such as in fraudulence, sexual assaults, or even murder. A clients failure to give the arranged fees can also result in withdrawal. If the attorney is not physically, emotionally, and mentally able to take on his responsibility, the withdrawal is also mandated by court. In terms of court duties, a lawyer should also make known to the court instances of perjury, or lying under oath. Misconduct of fellow attorneys, judges, or other legal practitioners should also be reported. As a professional, a lawyer is also not allowed to directly seek out for clients, as this somehow removes the latters freedom of decision. To further set the standards, the American Bar Association (ABA) created the Code of Professional Responsibility in 1983, also known as the Model Rules of Professional Conduct." Aside from issues of conflict of interest and withdrawal of representation, the Code also sets guidelines in issues of honesty with the court and the clients, behavior towards co-counsels, and information confidentiality. If a lawyer falls short of the standards and fails to act according to the ethical rules, then he can be charged with legal malpractice. A general criterion for legal malpractice is that a lawyers actions or lack thereofcause harm to his client and his case.

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